"So Moose, I see you've escaped. Now, let's talk about that deal I mentioned." Asher's voice echoed throughout the dark forest which was slightly illuminated by the bonfire which raged on due to the bodies Damon was burning.
"Asher….. what are you doing." Damon snarled, his words were laced with spite and animosity as he stopped dead in his tracks.
His body twisted back as the grip on the bottle tightened, with a swing he drank a dollop of vodka before his eyes met Asher's.
"I have come to parley….. wait a minute, is that the word or is it something else? Negotiate? Discuss? Wait fuck it, parlay it is." Asher said in a doubtful tone as he appeared in front of Damon, his head arched front as his eyes met Damon's.
"What do you want?" Damon asked in a nasty tone as he took a step back and continued spreading the bottle of vodka over the ground.
"A deal one might say, you see I know why you're here in Mystic Falls Damon." He said with a smile, which caused Damon to halt in his tracks, his body robotically turned back, his face startled as his lips slightly dropped.
"How?" Damon quietly muttered as his eyes met Asher's.
"That's for me to know, now you can't release the tomb vampires without my help or well I won't allow you to release them if you don't agree to my terms."
Damon gave him a dark look before his face morphed into his normal arrogant look.
"And do tell me what I should agree to, Master Asher?" Damon asked mockingly, his body leaned forward as he gave a slight scornful bow.
Asher and Damon slowly walked ahead, Damon poured alcohol over the bodies lying on the ground as Asher began talking about the deal.
"First, I'll lend you my help in opening the tomb, you will also inform me about all developments, unexpected and expected to me.
"Second, after we pry open the tomb, you can take Katherine and go, if you find her. The rest of the vampires—"
Asher paused as his body turned to the side.
"Excuse me, are you going to get that?" He asked while pointing to the unconscious body of Vicki who let soft painful coughs.
Damon arched a bit back as he glanced at the pale figure of Vicki. "I have plans for her, now what were you talking about by saying if Katherine—"
Damon was rudely cut off as Asher placed a hand over his own mouth.
Suddenly Damon's voice shrank significantly as he struggled to voice out words.
"Ah, ah, ah. Let me speak." Asher's muffled voice came out, after a moment his hand came off from his mouth as he continued.
"You can take Katherine if she's there, the rest of the vampires are mine. I will do to them what I see as fit and you will not object.
"During our let's say alliance, I won't harm you and you shall not harm me. And if we shall not conspire to harm each other.
"Lastly, after you've got Katherine, you shall leave Mystic Falls forever. No matter how much time passes, you shall not return back."
Asher said with a pause as his words came to an end, he stared intensely at Damon and awaited his words.
Damon cleared his throat as he stared back, "What do you mean by "if I find Katherine"?"
"Sorry, I can't tell you that. Now are you going to accept?" Asher said with a slight tilt of his head.
Damon growled as his hands extended, his fingers coiled around Asher's jacket as he twisted the blazer with slight force.
"I said, what did you mean by "if I find Katherine"?!" His voice deepened as his gaze intensified.
Asher sighed softly, his eyes grew indifferent and dark, as he coldly muttered.
"Didn't I tell you not to lay your hands on me again?"
"Hmm? I think it was something about you killing me. Bring it on"
Damon said with a cocky and maniacal smile.
Asher sighed deeply, his body turned to the the left as if he was leaving, suddenly his body shot back explosively as a dangerous hook landed on Damon's face.
Damon flew to the side, his body quickly regained balance as he stabilised himself with a turn. Red veins shot up from his face, Damon slightly growled as he jumped forward.
His fist exploded into Asher's face only for it to be met by a sudden resistance, like a wall he couldn't push.
Damon was slowly pushed back as his face tilted in confusion, almost immediately he was flung in the same direction he came from.
"You are too arrogant Damon, you are just a fish in a small pond. Although I could activate Infinity and give you the worst beat down of your life, I think it is better to show you the difference in our power."
Asher spoke slowly as he walked towards Damon's downed figure.
He turned off Infinity, his teeth sharpened while his hand moved back and forth, asking Damon for more.
Damon stood up with a sluggishness as his body moved in a blur, his hand slithered around Asher's neck and he tried to snap his neck only to be met with a sudden opposition.
"Wh—what?" He asked in a daze.
Asher pried his hand away while Damon silently screeched, his hand tensed with pressure as he gave a strong punch to Damon cheek.
His eyes reddened with pain, his eyeballs bubbled out softly, almost like it was going to burst out. Damon yelled loudly before he was flung into a nearby tree.
"Why do you even try Damon?" Asher asked curiously.
Damon held his numb and swollen cheek and let out a painful grunt. His eyes moved towards a tree ashis hands blurred past, tearing off a sharp branch.
He passed the branch to his right hand, his body tensed as Damon jumped up in the air, his body crossed deeper heights. His hands arched back as Damon tried to stake Asher who slightly scoffed.
Asher leaned into the strike causing Damon's attack to miss, though he didn't seem to be put off by this.
Damon let go off his branch as he let out some furious blows at Asher who deftly avoided it.
Their fists struck like lightning as loud booms resounded in the forest, the wind blew harsher as the trees shook with force.
Damon pelted out blow after blow, like streaks of never ending lightning, but Asher's nimble body avoided all of them. He only retaliated with a few well placed blows here and there which seemed to do the trick as after quite a few blows Damon's body buckled with agony.
"It isn't about the number of blows, but about how well positioned it is. Your blows need to be unavoidable, with great force behind it. Focus more on trying to land a perfect blow then just letting out a whole lot of it and asking for a Hail Mary."
Asher lectured him with warmth, as if he was a child.
"Fu—fuck you." Damon muttered in between spews of blood.
"Oh you do not know how many times I do that." Asher answered with a long sigh.
Asher's hand lashed out, hitting Damon's face, his jaw shuddered as it was pushed back, being completely dislocated.
Asher didn't stop after his attack as he continued pummeling Damon to the ground, his body was pushed against the ground, slowly proppeling the ground inwards.
Damon struggled against Asher's tremendous blows, his body bruised and screamed out in pain, slowly turning purple.
Asher's fist stopped inches before his regenerating body, Damon wheezed and coughed as she struggled to get up.
"You're pathetic, look at you, squirming at the ground, trying your best to survive, knowing that if I wanted to I could kill you in a blink."
Damon spewed more blood as he turned his body to the ground, "Why threaten, why don't you do it?"
"It's a whole side quest if I do, Stefan, then Lexi, then her friends, yada yada." Asher said with disinterest.
Asher slightly stretched his body and turned his back to Damon, his eyes gazed at the scorching fire consuming the ground, the smell of roasted flesh and blood lurked around.
Damon seized the opportunity that Asher gave him, his body pushed itself off the ground, his arm went wide as he tried to deliver a hook.
Asher's body instinctively turned back at break neck speed but he was a little too slow as Damon managed to strike his nose, which caused a few droplets of blood to leak from his nose.
Asher slightly clutched his nose as he took a few steps back, his hand shook up and down as he smiled.
"You are strong for your age, I don't know why but you are way more stronger than any vampire at your age." He said with a smile.
"Thanks." Damon said with a smirk as his body sluggishly swung side to side.
"Hmm." Asher said with a hum before his body darted near Damon, his hands clenched into a fist as he sucker punched Damon.
Damon's body fell to the ground with a loud squeal, his hands clutched his stomach as he collapsed into the ground.
Asher took the moment to wrap his hand around Damon's collar, his body tensed as he leaned forward, as he threw Damon into a clean shaven branch.
Damon's head arched back in pain as he let out a frightening scream. Asher's body moved similar to light as he arrived at Damon's side in a blur, his hand reached towards Damon's chest almost as if he wanted to rip out his heart.
Damon's eyes widened at the sight as he screamed in terror and panic, "I accept the deal!"
Asher's hand stopped mere centimetres before his heart as he let out a sigh and withdrew his hand from his body.
He flicked his hand as droplets of blood were thrown out, Damon struggled against the branch, and tried his best to remove himself from it before giving a sigh and resigning himself to his fate.
Damon's mouth soon opened as he asked a question he couldn't explain.
"What are you going to do with the tomb vampires? Make them work under you? You should know they will never listen."
Hearing Damon's words Asher shook his head, "I don't like organisations, it's tedious work."
Damon's mouth slightly opened as he tilted his head, his eyes were filled with confusion, "Then what are you going to do with the tomb vampire?"
Asher sighed softly, he raised his head with confidence and spoke softly.
"There are only three things that are important and worth dying for in life. Love, money and finally power."
He said with increasing volume. Damon's head turned to the side as his expression was agasp.
"Do you have some long lost love in that tomb of yours?" Damon asked curiously.
Asher shook his head once again as he relaxed his body.
"Then is it for money? Do one of these vampires have some long lost hidden fortune that I don't know about? But if so, a simple locator spell would've solved that, so you don't need to access the tomb."
Damon paused slightly as he considered his words.
"Then is it for power? An organisation you want to establish which has vampires, a secret and powerful group you control? But you already said you don't like having an organisation, in your words, "It's tedious work".
"Then individual strength? But how can these vampires help you in increasing your personal strength?"
Damon asked curiously.
Asher smiled softly at his words as he looked at Damon with a grin, "You are a lot smarter than what people give you credit for."